The present invention is related broadly to trailers for towing over land or highway, and, more particularly, to a trailer, preferably a single-wheel trailer and a hitch configured to resist “jack-knifing”.
Small utility trailers are useful for assisting in yard work. They are useful for hauling rocks, mulch, implements or other items in an off-road setting when towed by a lawn tractor or an all-terrain vehicle (ATV). These utility trailers may have one wheel or two, with a single-wheel trailer being especially useful over certain terrain. Such trailers are also more economical than two-wheel trailers. The small trailers can also be towed by full size vehicles over highways and roads.
Such a trailer may include a solid or mesh deck surface having a perimeter defined by railing projecting upwardly from the deck. A dual-wheel trailer typically includes two wheels for ground support contact spaced a predetermined distanced apart along either edge of the trailer bed. A single-wheel trailer typically includes a single wheel on a caster for a 360 degree rotation mounted underneath the bed along a centerline thereof.
One of the unfortunate characteristics of a small utility trailer is its tendency to “jack-knife”. The familiar jack-knife term when applied to tractors and trailers describes the situation wherein the trailer and tractor when viewed from above appear to fold up like a jack-knife. This typically results from a situation wherein the tractor is in reverse and the trailer veers away from the direction of travel and angularly approaches the towing vehicle as the towing vehicle moves in reverse. The problem is particularly acute with respect to a single-wheel trailer that requires 360 degree motion from the caster that attaches the wheel to the trailer.
Attempts have been made in the past to provide trailer hitches that resist jack-knifing. Most of these involve modification of the tow vehicle to accept two spaced-apart linkages with the trailer. Such modification of the towing vehicle may not be practical or desirable for every situation. Therefore, there exists a need for a trailer hitch, especially a trailer hitch operable with the single-wheel trailer that will resist jack-knifing and operate with a standard receiver hitch interface with the towing vehicle.